West Ham’s Summer Transfer Window Rated: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

There was a sense of optimism from West Ham fans heading into the 2025 summer transfer window, but there are mixed feelings on how the club performed in the player market.

Fan favourite Mohammed Kudus was sold for a relatively cheap price considering his release clause was set at £85million for the club to afford new reinforcements.

There is already increased pressure on the club to avoid another relegation battle – with some of the top UK betting sites having strong odds on the Hammers to go down this year.

It wasn’t all doom and gloom for West Ham, as they did manage to bring in a host of players to strengthen Graham Potter’s squad.

The Good

It took a while for things to get moving for West Ham regarding incomings, with El Hadji Malick Diouf the main signing up until the final few weeks of the window.

The full-back has proven to be an instant hit at the London Stadium with his attacking threat down the left wing and has already been regarded as one of the best under-the-radar deals of the summer window.

West Ham’s midfield was another weak point last year, but managing to keep hold of Lucas Paqueta was a huge plus. Signing both Mateus Fernandes and Soungoutou Magassa also bolsters Potter’s midfield depth.

The Bad

It didn’t all go to plan for West Ham, as they missed out on a Deadline Day move for Harvey Elliott as well as failing to bring in a young central forward and a permanent replacement for Nayef Aguerd.

The England starlet was seen as a readymade replacement for Kudus, but he ultimately chose Aston Villa over the Hammers.

There are also doubts over West Ham’s frontline due to the injury records of both Niclas Fullkrug, 32, and Callum Wilson, 33.

The Ugly

Perhaps the biggest frustration for supporters was how long it took the club to get up and running in the transfer window – and they ultimately paid the price.

Diouf and Mads Hermansen were the only new signings to make the starting line-up when the season got underway while Wilson and Kyle Walker-Peters – both joined on a free – were among the substitutes.

Their lack of incomings early in the summer immediately put West Ham on the back foot at the start of the campaign, with fans downspirited about their business.

That has been partially recovered by the late additions, but Potter has his work cut out getting his new signings up to speed during a hectic season.

And by not signing a replacement for Kudus, West Ham are left short of exciting attacking players to get the fans out of their seats.

Verdict

It’s fair to say that West Ham’s summer window as a whole was a mix of frustration and relief – but there was no real exciting new signing.

Fernandes and Magassa could well prove to be good deals for the Hammers, but Jarrod Bowen and Paqueta are now doing a lot of heavy lifting in a squad lacking in attacking flair.

Igor Julio joining on loan at the eleventh hour could prove a crucial piece of business in central defence, but he had his injury issues last season.

The Hammers are just one mini injury crisis away from being in real trouble – something that could and should have been addressed this summer.